Life is getting a wee bit crazy

Things have been a little hectic around here since the start of the semester. I have only started two of the three classes I am taking and I am a wee bit overwhelmed. (Sorry about the "wee" stuff; I've been reading Irish folktales for my class.)

I realized it's been 8 years or so since I have taken more than one class at a time. It's taking longer than I expected to get into the swing of things.

Okay...BACK TO READING!!!!!!!

The E.R. is really gross... also, pneumonia sucks!

I have never liked sitting in the waiting room at the E.D., especially during the flu season...but it's far worse to have to sit in that area with your 4 year old. Most of the people in there were just coughing and not looking their best and one guy had a VERY swollen ankle. But, far and away, the greatest moment came when the teenager two rows of seats in front of us started vomiting after a coughing fit. Luckily my daughter had fallen asleep in my lap by then, but I really just wanted a full body sterilizing. (Do they have those yet?) They should really hand out plastic bubbles at the door for you to step into when you arrive...keep your germs to yourself!!!

We were there because our daughter woke us up at 2a.m. on Tuesday hallucinating about bugs going up her nose. When I checked her temperature, she was 104.8 degrees. The on-call nurse at her doctor's office said we needed to go to the closest hospital immediately...so off we went. Turns out she has pneumonia, but we can treat her at home with antibiotics and albuterol. She didn't eat for over 48 hours, that scared me a bit, but now we are back to normal for the most part.

My daughter: witty beyond her years

My 4 year old really cracks me up sometimes. Today was no exception.
My husband came home from work to find the kids eating lunch and our 10 month old pulling herself up to the picnic table to see what the girls were eating. My husband decides this is a Kodak moment and shoots a few pictures of the girls. When he aims the camera at me,
I say, "Don't you dare!"
Husband: "Why not?!"
Me: "I look like crap!"
Husband: "I think you look great."
Without missing a beat, my daughter looks at me and says,
"He likes crap."
I nearly died laughing!

Our weekend

We made the nutty decision to take a whirlwind trip to Southern California last weekend and take our 4 year old to Disneyland for the first time.
Man, am I exhausted!!!

The trip was amazing, though. I have been to Disneyland many times as a child...I love it there. I know most people hate the crowds and the prices, but to stand in Main Street this weekend just like I did as a kid was so cool. I love that it still looks, feels and even smells the same as I remember it 20 years ago. I love that my favorite ride there is still Peter Pan. I love that it can make you just stop thinking about all the chaos in your life as you are transported into a child's wonderland. It was strange to bring my own child there. It's so awesome to watch your child enjoy themselves that much. The look on her face was truly priceless to me, worth every penny to give her such a magical experience. Standing in Main Street to watch the most awesome fireworks show I have ever seen with my daughter was the greatest moment.

Thank you to my cousins for your hospitality and tagging along with us for a "wild Saturday in the park." Thank you also goes to my favorite sister for taking such good care of the baby while we were gone...love ya!

New year, new you?

It's funny how people look at a new year as a fresh start and a new beginning. Mostly because we all did it last January but by the time March rolled around, you have already cheated on that diet or quit going to the gym like you swore you would. You have stopped having "family night" and/or date night with your spouse. You haven't hosted a single dinner party for any of your friends. You aren't reading as many books as you set out to, you have spent way too much time in front of the screen, (be it computer or television), and you just wanted to hit the reset button...all before the year's halfway mark! And don't even get me started on how the holidays get so hectic that you have to just concentrate on how nice and boring life will be if you can just make it through to January! That just doesn't seem right!

The idea of starting fresh is freeing, though. Which is probably why the tradition of a new year's resolution is still alive and well. It's the feeling of a clean slate that makes us try all over again to do the right things for ourselves.

The new year should be about being a better you, maybe not a new you. To take past experience and mistakes and turn them into lessons you can learn from; moving forward, having more knowledge and life wisdom under your belt to make better choices for yourself...to make your new year count for something.

Here's to all of you on making your plans stick this year. I'll be crossing my fingers for you and me both. I'm trying to remember an important rule in resolution making; don't set your bar so high that it is unobtainable...be realistic, and don't be too hard on yourself if you get all "human" and fall a little short. Yay, 2008!!!

A first with our children

We needed to go to Trader Joe's yesterday and there is a really good Chinese restaurant next door. So we decided to go and take the kids for their first Chinese experience. We did go a few times when our oldest was very young, but this time was far more exciting for her...she got to drink tea! The whole process was pleasant, actually. The girls were very good and both of them tried new foods. Egg fried rice was a hit with both of them...of course the baby will eat anything really. The best part was how well behaved they were. A lady even came over to our table just to compliment us on how good the girls were and how it was nice to see well behaved children in a restaurant.
When people do this, I have mixed feelings. I do feel very proud when we can go out in public and have the public enjoy us, but I am also surprised that people are shocked when our kids don't act like animals and listen to what their parents tell them. That's a shame! Don't get me wrong, it is incredibly challenging to keep a 2, 3, or 4 year old content in a chair at a table! And I certainly have not always been successful. But it's a must... and isn't a chair at the table where we should be eating anyway?
Babies can be difficult at times, but typically I really didn't have a lot of issues with mine...they are babies...bring a bottle, a binky, and some Cheerios and you should be good. It's an enjoyable age. The calm before the storm, if you will. ;o)
All in all, it was a great family outing and we all enjoyed ourselves...and that's always nice with children.
My fortune you might ask?..."Seize from every moment its uniqueness."

We woke up at 5:30am on a Saturday!

For a yard sale!!! Ugh!

I am not a "leap out of bed the minute my eyes open, can't wait to start a new day" kind of gal.

Let's just say I need a minute to regroup and become...pleasant Kristina.

Anyway, I was a great wife this morning and got up to help my husband's dream come true of de-cluttering our garage and maybe make a little cash in the process.

I feel, in fact, that I made bonus wifey points when you factor in that, 1:I felt VERY lousy from being sick on Friday, 2:I don't like being cold...mornings are cold, 3:Rain was forcasted for the day and I really wasn't sure how many customers we would have.

Nevertheless, we got up this morning with the mission to have that yard sale!!! Our first customers arrived at about 7:30. Five hours later, it began to rain and we called it a day. We had a good turn-out, and to my surprise we made over $250! When you don't take the time to stop and think about how you actually spent 10 times that much on the stuff originally...it was pretty cool. Besides, your stuff isn't worth anything if it just gets stuffed in a closet and you never use it.
So go ahead, America! Purge yourselves of the things that are cluttering your life, throw those things in your yard, strategically place a few neon pink signs throughout your neighborhood, and sell your stuff!!! It's fun to make a little of the green stuff back in the process. Plus, now you have empty closets for new stuff....(hehehehehehe...)

Farewell, 2007.

I know some people had a really bad year last year and were happy to see it come to an end. 2007 was certainly not all that bad for me personally, just maybe a little too stressful toward the end. I gave birth to our second, and final, child in March. It's a beautiful thing to complete our family. It has been a bittersweet experience for me. I finally get why moms go so crazy over their youngest. It's a strange feeling to know that you will never hold a new little baby again; that part of my life has come to an end, and I have oddly found myself almost grieving over it. The only babies wearing newborn diapers and onesies in my house now are dolls. In fact, those dolls are wearing the clothes I used to dress my now 4 year old in...I can even remember when those clothes were too big for her. It has truely made me more aware of how quickly time passes. No matter how desperately I want them to, my children won't stay small for long...how I better enjoy it while it lasts! One thing I truely learned in 2007...you only get one shot at this life; one chance to make it beautiful, one chance to leave your footprint, your mark, on your world. What will that be? is a question I have been asking myself a lot lately. 2007 blew by me in a breath, and it made me wonder...Did I take enough pictures? Did I make enough memories with my children, my husband, my family? Did I make each day count for something? Did I do positive things in the people and world around me?
So my goal for December, 2008 is to ask those same questions, and to be able to answer "YES!" to all the above. Now that would be beautiful.